Casing for portable apparatus, in particular for portable musical instruments



Jan. 17, 1967 P. s. SOPRANI Y CASING FOR PORTABLE APPARATUS INPARTICULAR FOR PORTABLE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec.2, 1964 INVENTQR PAou: SsT-rmw S PRANI ATTORNEYS Jan. 17, 1967 P. s.SOPRANI CASING FOR PORTABLE APPARATUS, IN PARTICULAR FOR PORTABLEMUSICAL INSTRUMENTS 2 Sheets$heet 2 Filed Dec. 2, 1964 INVENTOR PM Sum,SOPRANI ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,298,478 CASING FOR PORTABLEAPPARATUS, IN PARTICULAR FOR PQRTABLE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Paolo SettimioSoprani, Ancona Via Bainaizza 2, Ancona, Italy Filed Dec. 2, 1964, Ser.No. 415,348 Claims priority, application Italy, Feb. 7, 1964, 103,632/64 2 Claims. (Cl. 190-11) Subject of the present invention is acontainer or casing suitable for the transportation of portableapparatus, and in particular suitable for the transportation of portablemusical instruments, provided with a particular supporting structure anda particular locking system for securing said structure in the operatingposition of the contained apparatus.

It is the object of the present invention to make extremely easy theoperation required for passing from the transportation position to theoperating position of the apparatus. In particular, through the use ofthe present invention, such a passage occurs without any disassemblingor assembling operation.

A container used for a musical instrument, and provided with thefeatures being the subject of the present invention, is described in theattached drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 shows, in a perspective view, the container subject of thepresent invention, in the transportation position.

FIGURE 2 represents, in a perspective view, the container according toFIGURE 1, during the operation for passing from the transportation stageto the operating position.

FIGURE 3 represents, in a perspective view, the container of thepreceding figures in the operating position.

Referring in particular to the FIGURE 1, showing the container in itsclosed position, that is in the transportation position, 1 is a panelthat can be turned over, serving, in the operating position, forsecuring the supporting legs, while 2 indicates screws for securing theswingable panel respectively to the container, in its transportationposition, and to the legs, in the operating position; 7 refers to aremovable cover lid.

FIGURE 2 shows the container with its upper lid 7 removed, and its lowerplane (14) open; in FIGURE 2 there are shown with 1 the swingable panelalready illustrated in FIGURE 1, and now in a position swung by 90 inrespect to its preceding position; with 3 the hinges between the panel 1and the panel 4; this last one being a panel that can be turned over toallow the extraction of the supporting legs, its rotation occurringthrough the hinges 8. With 5 and 6 there are shown the supporting legsthat can be extracted from the bottom of the container, by a 90 rotationrelative to the container itself.

In FIGURE 3, showing the container set up for use, there can be seenthat the swingable panel 1 is secured, by means of the screws 2, to thelegs 5 and 6, thus giving stability to the device in its position readyfor use. The panel 4, that is swung during the mounting operation toallow the extraction of the legs, takes up, in its position ready foruse, a position identical with the one that is its characteristicposition in the transporting stage.

The advantages deriving from the arrangement in question can be statedas follows:

(1) All the parts of the supporting structure are anchored to thecontainer, thus requiring no assembling operations.

(2) The supporting structure folds down entirely within the container.

(3) The passage from the transportation position to that ready for use,is made exceptionally easy, requiring no disassembling or assemblingoperation.

(4) The supporting structure has a very satisfactory stabilitynotwithstanding its limited bulk, thanks to the use of the swingablepanel as a locking element for the supporting legs.

What is claimed is:

1. Container or casing suitable for the transportation of portableapparatus, and in particular for the transportation of portable musicalinstruments, said container having a panel hinged to a bottom peripheraledge thereof, said panel in one position forming the bottom of saidcontainer and being pivotable to an open position, supporting legswithin said container and hinged thereto for movement into dependingoperative position after said panel has been pivoted to open position,said panel including means for fastening said panel to said supportinglegs to lock said supporting legs in operative position and foralternatively locking said panel in said one position.

2. A container according to claim 1, wherein said panel comprises innerand outer panel elements hinged together, sail inner element beinghinged to said container and adapted to lie substantially perpendicularto said outer panel and said supporting legs in said one position whensaid outer element is substantially parallel to said legs in an openposition.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,329,080 1/1920Gunchick 11 1,428,092 9/1922 Honma 19011 1,468,665 9/ 1923 Kimball190-12 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

D. F. NORTON, Assistant Examiner.

1. CONTAINER OR CASING SUITABLE FOR THE TRANSPORTATION OF PORTABLEAPPARATUS, AND IN PARTICULAR FOR THE TRANSPORTATION OF PORTABLE MUSICALINSTRUMENTS, SAID CONTAINER HAVING A PANEL HINGED TO A BOTTOM PERIPHERALEDGE THEREOF, SAID PANEL IN ONE POSITION FORMING THE BOTTOM OF SAIDCONTAINER AND BEING PIVOTABLE TO AN OPEN POSITION, SUPPORTING LEGSWITHIN SAID CONTAINER AND HINGED THERETO FOR MOVEMENT INTO DEPENDINGOPERATIVE POSITION AFTER SAID PANEL HAS BEEN PIVOTED TO OPEN POSITION,SAID PANEL INCLUDING MEANS FOR FASTENING SAID PANEL TO SAID SUPPORTINGLEGS TO LOCK SAID SUPPORTING LEGS IN OPERATIVE POSITION AND FORALTERNATIVELY LOCKING SAID PANEL IN SAID ONE POSITION.